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Brooklyn Center Little League

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions.....

Which Little League do we belong to?
We are the Brooklyn Center Little League (BCLL) and we serve youth in the Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Osseo and Maple Grove areas. We are chartered through International Little League in Williamsport, PA.  If you live outside to aforementioned cities and would still like to play for BCLL, no worries, message us and we can help you understand the rules. that doesn't mean you can't play with us.

Are there residency requirements for BCLL?

Yes, to play in baseball, players must reside within our league boundary.  Consult our Little League Boundary Map for specifics.  If you live outside of our boundaries you must obtain a waiver to play in our league for any post-season (All-Stars) play.  When you register you will be asked questions about residency and directed to the process of obtaining a waiver if necessary.

Starting in 2014, Little League now allows for a player to live outside our league boundaries and play in our league if you go to school within our district, live outside our boundaries but played with our league last year, or qualify under a few other exemptions.  See Little League International's Residence and School Attendance Player Eligibility Requirements for full details.

How old does my child have to be in order to be eligible to play Little League? What is League Age?
Little League baseball is for children ages 4-12 and is based on how old the child is as of August 31st (generally) of the year they will be playing, known as "League Age". See the Age Chart or our Little League Age Calculator to figure out your child's "League Age"

What levels of play are provided in Little League?
Brooklyn Center Little League offers T-Ball, Machine Pitch, Minors and Majors. 

Is pricing based on division?
No. Pricing is based on age.  If your child is league age 8-10 the cost for them to play would be the cost of that age group. Pricing is solely based on their league age. Their age alone does not determine what division they will be placed in. 

T-Ball: (Ages 4-5 with 6 yr old option) This is instructional baseball and game scores are not recorded. Players in this division are co-ed.  At this level the ball is hit from a tee. Games consist of four innings or 1-1/2 hours.  Teams are formed by random draft each season.  6 yr olds are encouraged to play Machine Pitch (see below) but inexperienced 6 yr olds can play T-Ball.  Games are scheduled for Saturday mornings and practices are held on Thursday evenings.
 
Machine Pitch: (Ages 6-8) This is instructional baseball and game scores are recorded.  Players in this division are co-ed.  At this level a spring loaded pitching machine is used and coaches operate it to pitch to their own team. Games consist of five innings or 1-1/2 hours. Teams are formed by a draft each season. All players are selected for teams based on player evaluations. We strive to keep each team equally competitive. Games are scheduled throughout the week with some weekend play, weekday games typically start at 6:00 pm.
 
Minors: (Ages 8-12) At this level of play, players pitch to each other.   Games consist of six innings or two hours.  Teams are formed by random draft each season. Games are scheduled throughout the week with some weekend play, weekday games typically start at 6:00 pm.
 
Majors: (Ages 10-12)  Majors is the highest level of play in Little League for ages 12 and under. All non returning Majors eligible players must  participate in evaluations. All players are selected for teams by the league board and team Managers in a player draft based on player evaluations. There are limited roster spots on the Majors team. Games are scheduled throughout the week with some weekend play, weekday games typically start at 6:00 pm.

What equipment does my child need to play Little League?
At a minimum, your child will need a baseball glove - boys also will need to wear an athletic supporter with a hard cup. The league will supply a team shirt, pants, socks and hat for all divisions EXCEPT T-BALL. We only provide a team shirt for T-Ball. Most children will also require (non-metal) cleats, which the league does not provide. The league provides each team with several bats, batting helmets and catcher gear. Players can bring their own bats, helmets and catchers equipment if they choose, but are not required to furnish these items themselves.

Are there rules about the types of bats Little League allows?
The bat must be a baseball bat which meets the USA Baseball Bat standard (USABat) as adopted by Little League. It must have the USABaseball logo on it. 

T-Ball
Under the USABat standard, certified T-Ball bats are 26" or shorter and will feature the USA Baseball mark and text which reads "ONLY FOR USE WITH APPROVED TEE BALLS"

Machine Pitch/Minor/Majors:
Bats shall not be more than 33 inches in length; nor more than 2⅝ inches in diameter, and if wood, not less than fifteen-sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inch for bats less than 30″) at its smallest part. Wood bats taped or fitted with a sleeve may not exceed sixteen (16) inches from the small end.  **NOTE: Solid one-piece wood barrel bats do not require a USA Baseball logo.

 


When does the season begin? How long does it last?
Little League regular season begins around the end of March, and lasts until about the end of June. Kids are encouraged to attend Winter Warm Ups on Thursdays during March from 6-8 pm to prepare for evaluations. Starting in Minor League, all-star teams are formed and may play through August.  We also provide a Fall Ball opportunity that mostly play games on Sundays.

How many teams are in each division, and how is that determined?
The number of teams in each division may vary from year to year, as this is a function of how many children register, their ages, and their skill level.

When does Fall Ball begin?
Fall Leagues will be offered in August/September and may even run into October.  Ages for Fall Leagues is one year older than normal, meaning kids are invited to play up a level for Fall Ball.
 
When does All-Star play begin?

All-Star play is available to Minor and Major leagues (ages 9-12).  All-Star teams are drafted and formed in June and play through July - some play may be through August.

When are practices?
Practices begin after the league draft at the end of March, and are scheduled weekly until the start of game play in April.  The higher the level of play the more often practices and games are scheduled.  Practices are scheduled at each individual coaches discretion. There is no set practice schedule with the exception of T-Ball. T-Ball practices every Thursday evening from 6-7 pm.

When are games played?
Games begin May 4th and are generally scheduled 2 times per week; however, there may be weeks where 1 or 3 games are scheduled. Game play continues until the season ends near the end of June. Games are scheduled throughout the week and some Saturdays.

What division does drafting begin? Why is it needed?
The basic objective of having a player draft is for all teams at a given level to be relatively equally balanced.  Evaluation are held for all players ages 6-12. The only division that is not formally drafted is T-Ball.

Is financial assistance available?
BCLL's policy is that no child will ever be turned away from our program due to a financial hardship.  Scholarship requests can be filled out online prior to the beginning of the season, you can find that here --> Scholarship Application .   If someone would like to sponsor a scholarship, please contact the us at [email protected].

How do I sponsor a team?
There are many levels of sponsorship available.  Please take the time to review and consider which level of sponsorship is appropriate for you.  You can find information about becoming a sponsor by following this link Sponsor a Team  you will see a list of  levels of sponsorship, which can be completed and emailed into BCLL.

Are there any volunteer opportunities?
There are plenty of volunteer opportunities you can do for both your team and for the league. At the team level, you can volunteer to coach, assistant coach, team parent (team manager or organizer), field preparation, or be the scorekeeper for your team. At the league level we are always needing help in the concession stand. This is how we make the money to help our league survive outside of fundraising. There are also many events that you can participate in including, opening day ceremonies, fundraising, picture day, team/league sponsorship, fall ball. By participating in these positions, you are helping the Little League Organization to provide the best possible playing opportunities for your child! If you are interested in helping please email the board with what you are interested in at [email protected].

CANCELLATIONS & FIELD CLOSINGS DUE TO WEATHER

BCLL is a volunteer organization and although we would hope that all games and tournaments occur as scheduled. We cannot predict Mother Nature. Rain outs will be determined at game times on all fields. Teams are instructed to show up for all games. If an event is cancelled due to extreme  rain, heat or snow.  We will send communication as soon as we know. Follow our facebook page for updates, news and other information. BCLL Facebook


Brooklyn Center Little League

Brooklyn Center Little League, PO BOX 43986
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota 55443
Email : [email protected]
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